Garfield County historic route maps

Historic routes play an important role in maintaining public access to public land (such as BLM land or National Forest land). In order to manage existing and potential road and trail easements accessing public land in Garfield County, the County relies in part on historic route maps. In order for the county to acquire easements and/or retain existing easements, knowledge is needed of travel routes that existed before the land was "reserved" in Garfield County. "Reservations" of land occurred when it was taken out of the public domain and set aside as a homestead, national forest, national park, and/or deeded to the state.

For example, a large portion of the White River National Forest was reserved in 1891, when the president and congress created the White River Plateau Timber Reserve. In most cases, the reservation date for private land is the date a homestead certificate was issued. If the route existed prior to the land being reserved, the county could make a claim to it.

Historic mapsMapping of historic routes locally began with the Hayden Survey of 1877, and then the General Land Office Survey of 1882-1909. The Garfield County Road Map of 1888, the White River Plateau Timber Reserve Map of 1898 and the Battlement Mesa Forest Reserve map of 1898 are also key maps that Garfield County uses in determining historic routes.